Hello everyone,
Well, since I'm a DS4, I can tell you my experiences from all four years. Honestly, it's been the worst four years of my life. I wouldn't do this over again, but I have no qualms in being a dentist. Just the path getting here is like hazing in the military.
My first year sucked! When I met my class for the first day, I knew this was going to be an unhappy experience. I'm good at reading people, and I could tell I was in a competitive bunch. I wouldn't have minded the idea of being in a competitve bunch if the girls in my class were at least good-looking, but they were not. The classes were in the medical school with the med students and taught by Ph.D.s. All they fricking talked about was their research all the time. I could care less. I was paying those guys to get me through the system and the boards. I felt like most of the info was a total waste. I really felt like I was employing people that should not be employed. But O.k., I'll listen to the lectures on the colon and testes because it's part of the great big hurdle. In the middle of it all, I lost my girlfriend, my one and only friend. She decided that I was studying too much and got herself someone to cheat with. I felt really alone this year. After hearing the Ph. D.s talk, I decided to stay in my room and study. I only went to school to take exams.
Second year sucked. Now the dental courses started. They bombarded us with every discipline of dentistry. It was intense. This time you had to go to class because they took attendance. You would be in class from 8-5 pm then you had to do lab work and studies. I remember I had my first car accident that year because I was so fricking tired. I remember staying up for 48hrs-72 hrs at times. It ruined my health. I use to be a personal trainer with great shape but that went down the drain when I came to dental school. Then at the end of the year, you got hit with the NDB part I. I got a 95 overall average. I was so pissed with my whole experience, and it fired me up for this exam. By the way, don't date any dental student girls. Every experience so far has been crap.
3rd year sucked. It was suppose to be a year of dental treatment and getting our feet wet. I think it was a ton of wasted time. We had to get consults from every specialist for every procedure. For example, if I wanted to do a cleaning on my sister with gingivitis, I had to set her up on the periodontist day, wait on line with the other dental students to get my consult for a fricking cleaning and have them check it. Favoritism is a hidden disease in dental school. I believe some people got more than lucky with the patient cases they got and the treatment they got from the specialists. Ask any guy in my school, he'll probably tell you he would rather be a hot girl than himself in dental school. I didn't get to accomplish too much because the specialists slowed me down with the way they analyze every fricking situation to the bone. I understand the quality of care issue, but they would make you get a consult for a tooth that was a 1/4 of tooth structure for a crown for a medicaid patient in the posterior or didn't have money. That was a waste of time, but they didn't care. They would stand in the hallway jerking off to B.S. while you stood waiting in front of them for 5-10 minutes. When you asked for help, I felt most times they were reluctant. I even had a case that was rejected by the chief fixed and removable prosthodontists because they thought it was too difficult. They wanted me to transfer this patient to the GPR. I tried, but they sent it back to me telling me to waste a visit of my time to explain their expensive prices that the patient probably will not be able to afford. So, I couldn't get rid of this patient. I kept him on my roster. The patient was so aggravated with me because I didn't work on him. I had no way to really explain to him because there was a language barrier as well. I finally got to treatment plan the patient with a GENERAL DENTIST in 4th year. He's happy now because I can finally work on him. But honestly, I don't know anything more now then when I saw him before in 3rd year to treat him.
I'll tell you a quick joke one of my friends from class said to the fixed pros specialist. The fixed pros guy saw my friend dressed for a GPR interview and asked him where he was going. He told him which interview. My friend then proceeded to tell the specialist that he would never be accepted to a GPR interview and do you know why? The specialist said, "why would I not get accepted to a GPR?" Well, you're not efficient. It takes you 10 visits to cement a crown.
4th year sucks. Because the specialist didn't accept all lot of my cases, I was stuck doing 3rd year requirements in 4th year. Now, the specialist are even more dorks. They treat you like a slacker and want to slow you down some more. The general dentists in 4th year think you are a slacker too because they hear it from the specialists. So you are s**t out of luck. My cases still suck this year, but they are a little bit better. Honestly, I pray every night I make it out of here on time for my residency. That's all I'm asking for. The damage is done. I will take on the boards and requirements and get out to be a general dentist. In every GPR interview, they ask me if I want to be a specialist. I say hells no. In fact, I'd like to put them out of business for all the help they gave me in dental school.
After dental school life is a brighter place. All the hazing is over. The fellow dentists treat you like a colleague and the girls flock your way because you are the professional guy with a future. It would have been nice to have seen this during dental school.
Overall, I'm still a cool guy to chill with, and anybody who knows me will testify by my hard work ethic and willing to help anyone who asked for it regardless of my level of exhaustion.
My take. I still recommend dentistry. You really have to ask yourself if you think you have what it takes to put up with all the B.S. Dental school is definitely a good way to find out if the girl you are considering marriage is for you. If she'll be there through thick and thin, then she's got my vote.
Good luck to all. General dentistry here I come.
P.S. Don't ask me what dental school I come from? I'd rather not repeat it nor give donations to it.
(But also keep in mind that I am only a DS1)
